The Adelaide Fringe Board has announced Director and CEO Heather Croall’s contract has been extended by two years to 2022.

Ms Croall delivered her first Adelaide Fringe in 2016, returning to Adelaide after almost a decade in the UK. Under her stewardship, the much-loved festival has experienced exceptional growth in terms of ticket sales, attendances, tourist visitation, philanthropy and industry engagement.

This year, there are heaps of Adelaide Fringe artists nominated for the annual Helpmann Awards. These awards recognise distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in the many disciplines of Australia's vibrant live performance sectors, including musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, cabaret, regional touring, presentations for children and young people, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre.

Victorian comedian Elizabeth Davie will receive a 12-month mentorship and $2000 towards performing in the 2020 Adelaide Fringe after being selected as the successful recipient of this year’s Matt Tarrant Emerging Performers Grant.

More audience members than ever before will be able to enjoy the Adelaide Fringe thanks to new accessibility initiatives being introduced for the 2019 festival.

For the first time, Adelaide Fringe is partnering with Deaf Can:Do and the Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) to help raise awareness of the services available to festival-goers who have access requirements.